Wire bound box



F. A. SCHAACK WIRE 'BOUND BOX JuIy 25, 1939.

Filed Jan. 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FRANK A. ScHAACK July 25, 1939. F. A. SCHAACK WIRE BOUND BOX Filed Jan. 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FRANK A. ScHAAcK Wm; M

Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE BOUND BOX Application January 22, 1938, Serial No. 186,309

3 Claims.

Heretofore, wire-bound boxes of the knockdown type have usually included a body section consisting of a bottom, two side walls, and a top which are machine connected by means of binding wires to form a collapsible section which is used with two end walls. When the knockdown box is assembled, the side walls are bent upwardly to be disposed at substantially right angles to the bottom, and the end walls are then inserted in position and nailed or otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom and to the side walls to form the body portion of the box. After the box has been filled, the cover is closed and is secured in position by twisting the ends of the binding wires adjacent one of the top side edges, and the twisted ends of the wires are left exposed and form projections.

The present invention pertains to an improved type of a knockdown wire-bound box or crate, of an open type construction, that is, without an attached top. The improved box is so constructed that the bottom and two side walls are adapted to be machine, or manually, connected by means of binding wires, which also serve to hold the end wall frame cleats in position permitting a major portion of the box to be assembled to form a body portion consisting of the bottom and two side walls together with the end wall frames which are held assembled by means of the binding wires, the ends of which are twisted together before the end walls are mounted in position, forming a structure wherein the bottom or a side Wall is provided with recesses into which the twisted ends of the binding wires are projected to hide the same to obviate damage or injury thereby.

- It is an object of this invention to provide a knockdown wire-bound box, of the open top type, wherein the binding wires have the ends thereof twisted together, before the end walls of the box are inserted and secured in place.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a knockdown type of wire-bound box, of topless construction, wherein the binding wires have the ends thereof twisted together before the end walls are secured in position and wherein the twisted ends of the binding wires are adapted to be hidden in recesses provided in one of the walls of the box to obviate injury or damage.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a wire-bound box, of the open top style, wherein the end and intermediate binding wires, upon assembly of the box, have the ends of the wires fastened together, before the end walls are secured in position, providing a box construction wherein the intermediate binding wires extend across the open top and then have sections thereof cut away leaving ends which are bent downwardly adjacent the inner surfaces of the side walls allowing the tip ends of the cut wires to be nailed or projected into the side Walls.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide a knockdown type of wire-bound box, without an attached top, wherein the bottom, side walls, and the top cleats of the end frames are grooved or recessed for the reception of the binding wires, so that the binding wires and the retaining staples holding the same in place are recessed and do not project beyond the outer surfaces of the bottom and side walls or above the top surfaces of the end frame top cleats.

Still another object of the invention is the construction of a wire-bound box of the topless type which is formed by an improved method wherein the bottom and side walls, together with selected end frame cleats, are grooved or recessed, permitting the binding wires to be seated therein and fastened in place to connect the bottom and side walls and the end frame top cleats in a developed form, permitting the bottom and side walls and the end wall frame cleats to be bound together I provide a knockdown type of wire-bound box, of

the unattached top type, wherein the binding wires are seated in grooves or recesses and wherein the fastened ends of the binding wires, after the assembly of the box, are projected into recesses, thereby forming a wire-bound box or crate wherein the binding wires do not project beyond the outer surfaces of the box and wherein the wire ends are completely hidden so that persons handling the boxes will not be subjected to possible injury, nor will the projecting ends of the Wires interfere with the efficient handling of thev boxes or the shipping of the same.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

As shown on the drawings:

Figure 1 is a developed plan view of the wireable material.

Figure 4 is an end view similar toFigure 3, with.

a portion broken away to showthe ends of the binding wires twisted together to tightly draw the wires around the body of the box, and showing the twisted ends of the wires projected inwardly into recesses provided in the box bottom and into the end frame bottom cleats.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the completed box embodying the principles of this invention. Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section of the box taken on line VI-VI of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line VII-VII of Figure 8.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken through the box on line VIIIVIII of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section of the box taken on line IXIX of Figure 7.

As shown on the drawings:

The improved type of wire-bound box is of the knockdown construction to facilitate packing and shipping, thereby affording an arrangement for conserving space and reducing the expense of shipment. The improved boxes are adapted, primarily, to be assembled after shipment, but if preferred or ordered, the boxes may be assembled before shipment.

The improved wire-bound box comprises a bottom I adapted to be formed of either a single or'a plurality of boards which may be constructed of wood, laminated wood, fiber, or other suit- The bottom I has the bottom or outer surface thereof provided with an intermediate transverse groove 2 and with end groove 3. Also provided in the bottom I along one marginal side edge thereof are a plurality of spaced holes or recesses 4 at points registering with the intermediate groove 2 and the end grooves 3, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 8. Slightly spaced from the longitudinal margin of the bottom I, opposite the margin in which the holes or recesses 4 are formed, is a side wall 5, constructed of wood, plywood, fiber, or any other suitable material. The outer side surface of the side wall 5 is provided with a transverse intermediate groove 6 and with transverse end grooves I. A second side wall 5 is provided constructed exactly the sameas the previously described side wall, and said second side wall in the developed form illustrated in Figure 1 isspaced to one side of the first side wall a distance substantially the width of the bottom to provide a topopening 8. The box is provided with two reinforcing end frames each constructed of a bottom cleat 9, two side cleats .II), and a top cleat II. The ends of the cleats 9, I0, and I I are bevelled or mitered to form mitered ends permitting the'cleats when assembled to form the rectangular end frames.

The bottom cleats 9 are nailed or otherwise secured across the end margins of the inner face of the bottom I. The side cleats ID are nailed or; otherwise rigidly secured across the end margins of the inner faces of the side walls 5,.and

the top cleats II are positioned in parallel relation across the ends'of the top space 8 (Figure 1) between the side walls 5 and in alignment with the cleats 9 and Ill and slightly separated therefrom.

The bottom, side walls, and the top cleats II are connected together in the developed relation as illustrated in Figure 1, by means of binding members consisting of side binding wires I3 and one or more intermediate binding wires I4. The

binding wires I3 and I4 are stapled or otherwise secured to the bottom I, the side walls 5, and the .top cleats II, manually or in a suitable machine.

for the purpose, thereby providing a wire box body unit with which a pair of end panels or walls I5 are adapted .to be shipped tocomplete the three-piece unit from which a completed box is adapted to be assembled. The end walls I5 are adapted to be constructed of plywood, solid boards, fiber, or any other suitable selected material.

As clearly illustrated in Figures 9 and 4, one end of each of the bottom end frame cleats 9 is provided with a notch or recess I6 in register with the end recesses or openings 4 provided in one longitudinal margin of the bottom I.

After the box has been constructed in the knockdown form illustrated in Figure 1, the wire-bound body, together with the two end walls, may be shipped to a user for assembly when needed. When it is desired to assemble the box, the wire-bound unit has' the two side walls 5 thereof bent downwardly at right angles I to the top cleats II, and the bottom I is bent to a position at substantially right angles to the side walls 5 to form a rectangular shell or body portion having an open top and open'ends surrounded by the end reinforcing frames each of which consist of a pair of the side cleats III, a bottom cleat 9, and a top cleat II, the mitered edges of said cleats abutting one another as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 to form rectangular end frames. As illustrated in Figure 3, the ends of the wires I3 and I4 are thus positioned to project downwardly from the bottom of the box into a position ready to be twisted or otherwise secured together 'to tightly draw the wires twisted ends of the wires doing damage or being I V in the way to cause annoyance when the box is in use.

In the binding together of the wires, a section of the wire I4 is temporarily left extending across the open top'B of the box. The box is now ready to have the end walls I5 engaged in position.-

This arrangement.

Each of the end walls I5 is inserted into the box adjacent one of the reinforcing frames to seat upon the inner surface of the bottom I and against the inner faces of the side walls 5. Nails I8 or other suitable means are then used for securing the end walls I5 to the inner faces of the reinforcing end frames of the box.

To complete the box structure the section of the binding wire I 4 which crosses the open top of the box is now out to remove the intermediate side walls 5, as clearly illustrated in Figures and 6. While the cutting of the top span of the intermediate wire I 4 has been described as being done after the end panels or walls l5 are secured in position, it will, of course, be understood that the top span of the wire I4 may be out before the end walls are nailed in position if desired. If de sired, the top span of the intermediate wire may be left in place to obviate outward bulging of the side walls when the box is loaded.

The completed box is illustrated in Figure 5. It is shown as being of the open type style and shows the binding wires I3 and I4 seated in the body grooves of the box, so that the binding wires do not project outwardly beyond the normal outer surfaces of the box. The box is furthermore improved by having the twisted or fastened ends of the wires I3 and I4 seated in the recesses 4 and projecting into the cleat openings H5 at the ends of the box. In this type of knockdown wire-bound box, attention is called to the fact that the binding wires are secured together before the end walls are mounted in position, while in the old type of wire-bound boxes the end walls are secured in position before the wires are twisted together, made necessary by the provision of the box top which is omitted, as an attached feature, from the box of this invention. If required, the box may be provided with a top, which may be secured in place by nails or the like, or by other means, such, for example, as the cut ends of intermediate binding wires.

The improved method of constructing and assembling the box consists of positioning the bottom, the two side walls, and the end frame top cleats in the order illustrated in Figure 1 with the end frame top cleats separating the side walls to leave the top opening. By means of a suitable wiring and stapling machine, or any other suitable method either manual or mechanical, the binding wires l3 and M are stapled or nailed in position to hold the bottom, the side walls, and the top cleats properly positioned and spaced with respect to one another to form the developed form of the box body unit. The body unit is then bent in position to form the rectangular body section, and the ends of the binding wires are twisted or otherwise fastened together and embedded in the recesses provided in the bottom or in any selected wallof the box. The end walls are then nailed into position, and a section of the top band of the wire I4 is then cut out, and the wire arms l9 are then bent downwardly and secured in the innerfaces of the side walls of the box to complete the box construction and assembly.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted thereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A knockdown type wire-bound box comprising a bottom and side walls having transverse grooves in the outer faces adjacent the ends thereof, said bottom also having recesses formed therein, end frames secured to the bottom and the side walls and including top cleats having grooves therein, the ends of which register with the grooves in the side walls, end binding wires seated in the grooves of the bottom and side walls and in the grooves of the end frame top cleats, said wires having the ends thereof twisted together and projected into the recesses provided in the bottom, an intermediate binding wire engaged around the box and seated in grooves: of the bottom and side walls, said intermediate wire having the ends thereof twisted and seated in a recess in the bottom, said intermediate wire also having intermediate ends which are projected downwardly into the box and into the inner faces of the side walls.

2. A knockdown type wire-bound box comprising a bottom and side walls having transverse grooves in the outer faces adjacent the ends thereof, said bottom also having recesses formed therein, end frames secured to the bottom and the side walls and including top cleats having grooves therein, the ends of which register with the grooves in the side walls, end binding wires seated in the grooves of the bottom and side walls and in grooves of the end frame top cleats, said wires having the ends thereof twisted together and proj ected into the recesses provided in the bottom, an intermediate binding wire engaged around. the box and seated in grooves of the bottom and side walls, said intermediate wire having the ends thereof twisted and seated in a recess in the bottom, said intermediate wire also having intermediate ends which are projected downwardly into the box and into the inner faces of the side walls, and end walls secured to the inner faces of the end wall frames.

3. A knockdown box comprising a bottom, side walls, and end walls, end frames for reinforcing the end walls, said end frames including top cleats having grooves provided therein, said bottom and side walls having end grooves and intermediate grooves provided in the exterior faces thereof, with the end grooves of the bottom registering with the side wall end grooves and with the side wall end grooves registering with the top cleat grooves, end binding wires seated in the registering end grooves of the bottom and side walls and in the grooves of the top cleats of the end frames and having the ends thereof twisted together and deflected to seat in recesses provided in the bottom, and an intermediate binding wire engaged around the box and seated in the registering intermediate grooves of the bottom and side walls, and having the ends thereof twisted together and seated in a recess formed in the box bottom, said intermediate binding wire having a section thereof cut away to form intermediate ends which are bent downwardly into the box with the tips of said intermediate ends projecting into the inner faces of the box side walls. FRANK A. SCHAACK. 

